Close down an entire city street, line up vintage rides from end to end and pack the sidewalks with classic car aficionados, and you get one of downtown’s most popular events — Fenders on Front Street.

The annual car show, hosted by the Downtown Issaquah Association, returns for its ninth year June 15, bigger than ever. Executive Director Karen Donovan said the show set an attendance record last year with about 10,000 visitors.

Unlike specific car shows, anyone with a classic ride may register to sign their car up, even the day of the event. Donovan said they may have to cut off signups by 11 a.m., depending upon the number of participants. Go to www.fendersonfrontstreet.com/registration to learn more about signing up.

Someone has to make music and it might as well be the whole community.

For the second year in a row, the Downtown Issaquah Association will lead the city to join the rest of the world in International Music Day on June 21. With festivities highlighting the talents of the community, the day will offer plenty of opportunities to listen to and make music.

Photos by Greg FarrarAbove, David Harris (left) plays a bongo drum with Emma Erhardt (left) and Bella Evans, during an all-instrument flash mob performance of ‘Louie Louie’ in 2013 on the City Hall steps for Issaquah Make Music Day in honor of International Music day

“It’s going to be pretty significant,” DIA Executive Director Karen Donovan said. “We’re going to have over 25 bands in seven outdoor locations, four regular venues and six nontraditional spots.”

The ban — passed by the Issaquah City Council in 2012 — went into effect for businesses over 7,500 square feet on March 1 the following year. The council staggered the roll-out of the prohibition, giving other businesses another year before they were expected to comply.

The ban will prohibit stores from providing customers with single-use plastic bags and require a minimum 5-cent charge for paper bags.

Local mom Regan Wong found a nifty way to repurpose the contents of that long forgotten box, tucked away in a closet, filled to the brim with broken, sometimes wrapperless crayons.

The vibrant coloring tools undoubtedly lived a life of usefulness at one point, but rather than letting them sit on a shelf reminiscing about the good old days of elementary school, or letting them rot in a landfill, Wong is turning them in to something environmentally friendly and beautiful.

Wacky Crayons takes used crayons, melts them down and, using food-grade molds, crafts new, multicolored drawing tools in various shapes and sizes.

Mike and Leah Wong, children of Wacky Crayons creator Regan Wong, lend a helping hand as they make the unconventional drawing tool in the family’s garage.Photo contributed

“We didn’t invent this, but we’re sort of perfecting it along the way,” Wong said.

Shoppers this holiday season are being asked to join the nation in paying tribute to local venues when purchasing gifts for family and friends.

Several locations throughout Issaquah will participate in the national Small Business Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. Nov. 30.

In a bit of serendipity, shopping options this year include the new Grand Ridge Plaza in the Issaquah Highlands and Gilman Village celebrating its 40th anniversary. The two locations are in addition to the shops in the downtown corridor.

Shop Small, Shop Local comes to Issaquah

We have all heard the hype surrounding Black Friday, when big box retailers roll out their lowest sale prices of the year to kick off the holiday shopping season. And then there is Cyber Monday, the big day for online shopping orders.

But Small Business Saturday encourages holiday shoppers to patronize the storefronts right in their own hometowns.

Building on the theme of Small Business Saturday, initiated by American Express in 2010, the catchier phrase Shop Small has become a nationwide movement. The Downtown Issaquah Association adopted the movement to get things rolling here, literally.

Issaquah’s Gilman Village will celebrate its 40th anniversary in style.

The city landmark hosts the Gilman Village Wine Walk from 6-9 p.m. Nov. 21. Participants can taste products from small local wineries while visiting shops and restaurants in the village. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 the day of the event.

The Issaquah community has already begun to get excited about the event, sponsored by the Downtown Issaquah Association.